Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Minoru Iwamoto

Tsuneo Kurotori

Manabu Mochizuki

Hiroshi Tanabe

Ichiro Tsuruoka

Kenji Kojima

Katsuhiro Echigo

Koichi Noguchi

Itsuo Ikeda

Mayumi Miyao

Shigeru Suzuki

Kenzo Ariyama

Kyoji Omi

Toyoo Okamoto

Yukitaka Nakazato

Shigeru Mita

Tatsuo Nishikawa

An image forming apparatus which uses a liquid developer to produce a visible image from an image carrier is provided with a movable cleaning unit. This movable cleaning unit is moved in and out of contact with the image carrier. A tank stores the liquid developer which is fed to both the developing unit and to the cleaning unit and is provided with a mechanism for feeding the developing unit and the cleaning unit with the liquid developer which is so stored.

Electrophotographic copier with a developing device using a liquid

A control device for image forming equipment capable of reducing ozone ascribable to an image forming process and detecting failures of the equipment caused by the ozone. Mists are produced from a liquid developer which is a toner-dispersed carrier liquid containing silicone oil during developing, image transferring and fixing steps. The mists and the ozone are discharged to the outside of the equipment by a fan. A filter liquifies the mists and ozone by mixing them together. Errors are detected on the basis of ozone concentration which is sensed by an ozone concentration sensor.

Image forming apparatus with ozone detection and deodorizer

An image formation apparatus including a latent electrostatic image formation unit for forming on a latent-electrostatic-image-bearable photoconductive member a latent electrostatic image corresponding to an original image; a development unit for developing the latent electrostatic image into a visible toner image with a developer; an image-transfer unit for transferring the visible toner image from the photoconductive member to a transfer sheet; an image-fixing unit for fixing the visible toner image to the transfer sheet, including an image fixing roller, the surface of which is coated with a release agent comprising a silicone oil; a solvent mist generation unit for generating a solvent mist; and an ozone decomposing unit for trapping and decomposing ozone generated in the image formation apparatus by mixing the ozone with the solvent mist.

Apparatus for decomposing ozone by using a solvent mist

A control system for a copier having at least some of the following functions: color printing function; a combining function; a shifting function; a trimming function; a continuous copying function; a magnification changing function. When using a trim function the shift function or the combine function which involves data setting function, the first data setting and the second data setting are performed at the same time to enhance operability of the copier. In the combine function, which is performed after a copying operation, the trim function, the shift function or the like is restored. The center of a magnification-changed image is aligned with that of a document image in terms of coordinates. Such an image is shifted by a particular amount specified (absolute value). When a 1 magnification condition, an image is shifted by an amount selected if the size of a document is different. When an image is to be shifted in such a direction that a paper precedes the image, the image may be shifted beyond a limit which is mechanically improved by a drum and register rollers. A single document may be reproduced a plurality of times on a single paper whose size is double the size of the document, or two documents may be reproduced side by side on a single paper which is greater in size than the documents, or a plurality of documents may be reproduced on a single paper.

Control system for a copier with retention of settings therefor

A copier with an automatic document feeder (ADF) which causes the ADF to automatically feed a document to a predetermined position on a glass platen and causes optics in the form of a scanner for exposure to move for illuminating the document on the glass platen. The copier changes a document stop position on a glass platen and a home position of the scanner depending upon size of a document to be fed by the ADF or the size of paper sheets for reproducing the document thereon.

Copier with an automatic document feeder

A control system for a copier having a monocolor or multicolor printing function, a combining function, a shifting function, a masking function, a continuous printing function, a magnification changing function and others. The control system allows a trimmed image to be automatically laid in a masked area. Further, the control system selectively controls the copier such that the center of a magnification-changed image is brought into register with that of a document image, such that the amount of shift of a magnification-changed image becomes equal to a specified one (absolute value), and such that when a document and a paper are different in size from each other, an image is shifted by a specified distance even if the magnification is 1.

Control system for a copier

A reproduction apparatus (11) including an electrostatic copying machine (12) or the like is operative to produce single copies of a plurality of documents using an automatic document feed device (14) or a plurality of copies of a single document. The copies are discharged onto a sorting device (18); (91); (121); (141) for stacking the copies in either of two positions on a tray (23); (93); (122); (190) thereof. In the automatic feed mode the original documents, after being fed through the automatic feed device (14), are discharged into a discharge unit (19) having a cover (21). If the cover (21) is opened within a predetermined length of time to remove the documents after termination of the copying operation in the automatic feed mode the sorting device (18); (91); (121); (141) is actuated to shift the copies from one position to the other. The same operation is effected in the multiple copy mode if a next copying operation is initiated within the predetermined length of time. The sorting device (91); (121); (141) preferably includes a fixed tray (93); (122); (190) and a movable sheet engaging member (96); (129); (149) which is toggled between two stable positions for shifting the copies to one or the other of the positions on the tray (93); (122); (190). In this manner, the copies are sorted in sets in the automatic feed mode and according to the original documents in the multiple copying mode.

Reproduction apparatus comprising sorting device

As a scanning element of an electrophotographic copying machine begins to move, a feed roller moves a sheet of copy paper into the bite of register rollers which are held stationary. This movement of the copy paper is accomplished in a period of time which is less than that required for the scanning element to reach a predetermined scan synchronizing point. The feed roller is then stopped so that the copy paper is slightly buckled and thereby resiliently urged into the bite of the register rollers. When the scanning element reaches the scan synchronizing point, a sensor causes the register rollers to rotate thereby feeding the copy sheet through the machine in synchronization with the movement of the scanning element. The copy machine may employ a seamless photoconductive drum or belt moving at constant speed in which case an electrostatic image is formed on the drum or belt by the scanning element. The image is developed by toner particles and transferred to the copy sheet. The copy machine may also be of the type in which the copy sheet itself is photoconductive and is imaged directly by the scanning element.

Copy paper feed system

Timers measure the length of time for the leading edge of the first copy sheet to reach a sensing point at the discharge side of the machine after the copy operation is started and de-energize the machine if the measured time is longer than a predetermined time value, indicating that the first sheet jammed and did not reach the sensing point. If the first sheet reaches the sensing point in less than the predetermined time indicating proper feeding thereof, the length of time between the sensing of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the first sheet at the sensing point is measured, and the machine is deenergized if the measured time is longer than another predetermined value, indicating that the first sheet jammed at the sensing point. If the first sheet passes the sensing point normally (the machine is not de-energized), the length of time between the sensing of the trailing edge of the first sheet and the leading edge of the second sheet at the sensing point is measured, and the machine is de-energized if the measured time is longer than still another predetermined value, indicating that the second sheet jammed and did not reach the sensing point. If the second sheet passes the sensing point normally (the machine is not de-energized), the latter two operations are alternately performed for subsequent sheets until a jam is detected and the machine de-energized or the copying operation is completed without a jam.

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Yokohama, Japan

Minoru Iwamoto